Function Junction

It’s muncher time! Get those fingers moving. What are you going to feed your muncher today?

Summer is here!!! Time to build Monsters!

Your summer home program….

SWIM, CLIMB a tree, DIG in the sand, RIDE a bike

♥

Or…write a song…build with Lego….climb a tree…interview a family member….pick some flowers….call a friend….walk a dog….dream….dance….

Some fun to keep the kids busy today.

http://loveandmarriageblog.com/52-responses-im-bored/

Summer is here! Great time to pull out the bikes! I know it’s getting hot.. but choose your cycling time wisely. Go early.
Learning to ride a bike is a fabulous life skill.

Learning to ride a bike requires integration of many underlying skills! Here are tips from the perspective of an OT: https://www.theottoolbox.com/radio-flyer-balance-bike-giveaway/

Absolutely!!! Climb UP the slide. I was just doing this last week with some kids at the park. Improve strength, motor planning, coordination…and so much more.

As occupational therapists, we often have children in our practice work on climbing UP the slide. We do this, because it happens to be incredibly therapeutic.

Learn more about why it's beneficial to allow children to climb back up the slide (when no one is coming down of course!)

- From the perspective of a physical therapist:
https://www.pinkoatmeal.com/climb-up-the-slide/

- From the Child Central Station's original post:
https://www.childcentralstation.com/2014/01/yes-we-climb-up-slide.html?m=1

Observed some Springtime fun out on the playground at Warwick Academy today with the P1s. Loose parts were provided and the kids used their creativity to make their picture.
They were having a blast.

Great questions we should be asking our kids. They don’t always need us to “tell” them what to do. Empower them to think of a solution.

Not just for kids. We all need to remember..and practice these social skills.

Terrific list!

>>> https://www.andnextcomesl.com/2017/03/list-of-social-skills-to-teach-kids.html/?ref=7041593 (affiliate))

Music can often be the key to memory!

24 songs/videos that help kids remember information:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLalliGsZw3qNOU2hkoONSgE65D1e7B2AF

Have a great start back to school!
Here’s a wonderful organization tip if your family is struggling a bit to get out the door.
Happy January!

BRILLIANT idea from Kortney Brady
One parent said, "“I did this with my 8 and 3 year old. BEST THING EVER! We fill the cubes every Sunday evening and now our mornings are stress free!”

I love recommending this to schools.
If you have 2 slides…make one the”up” slide…and one the “down” slide.

Climbing ”up” challenges their strength and level of risk taking.

WHY WE SHOULD LET OUR KIDS CLIMB UP THE SLIDE

Why climbing the slide is just as important as sliding down for learning and physical development. It's important to remember to encourage this activity only when other kids are not going down the slide to ensure safety.

Cardboard boxes and tape….love it!!!!
Use your creativity. So many possibilities.

CARDBOARD RACE TRACK 🚘 Great way to reuse all those boxes!
Photo credit: https://www.instagram.com/pollyaktar/

Wishing everyone a season full of love and laughter. Appreciate who is around your table. Remember those that are not there this year. Embrace the fun and excitement the kids bring.
Play games, build the puzzle and don’t be upset if the box gets more attention than the toy!!!
Merry Christmas 🎄

The Unconventional Guide to Improving Handwriting Skills (Part I): Put the Pencil Down and Get Outside Worried about future handwriting issues? Have your toddler do planks!

Gift wrapping time….works on so many skills.

Did you know that you should include your child in the gift-wrapping part of gift-giving?! It addresses so many skills you probably didn't even realize!

Here are 5 reasons:

1. Practice writing - fill out a card, a label, or a tag
2. Visual perceptual skills - to estimate the size of the paper, you would need to fully wrap a gift.
3. Problem-solving - in case they cut the paper too small and it doesn't fit the whole gift.
3. Scissor skills - cut the gift wrap, ribbon, and tape
4. Bilateral coordination - two hands must work together to cut, fold, and tape the gift wrap.
5. Transfer those shoe-tying skills and tie a knot or a bow on the gift

Now that you know how many skills you can work on while wrapping a gift, it's time to make this part of gift-giving into a learning experience.

Check out my blog post for 5 more reasons to let your kids wrap gifts: https://missjaimeot.com/10-reasons-to-let-your-kids-wrap-gifts/

And while kids are playing….here’s what we should be saying…

GOOD ADVICE FOR SENDING A DIFFERENT KIND OF ENCOURAGING MESSAGE TO OUR CHILDREN

Sometimes it is easy to use phrases that come naturally but here are some other options that promote awareness and problem solving rather than fear and worry.

Play-Play-Play
It’s sooo important!
Play IS learning.

Great afternoon at The International Day of the Girl Event!!! Observed lots of free play and strong hand skills. The girls enjoyed creating and building.

The car is packed and ready. I’ll meet you at the international day of the girl at national stadium today at 2 PM. See you there!

Some great gift ideas!

Function Junction will be there…providing a place for some of the younger girls to play. (2-4yr).
Come chat about early development and the importance of play.
See you there!!!!

Development in action!!! 13 Therapists and 10 kids ages 2 1/2 months to 5 years…equals a lot of fun and learning.
Thank you to the Bermuda Occupational Therapy Association for inviting me to present on the topic of Early Childhood Development-birth to 5 yesterday.
It was such a privilege to be able to play with all these kids and observe how they move.
Thank you to the all the Moms, Dads and Aunties that took time out of their day to share their children with us.

Development is a sequence of skills. Determine what your child is able to do now…and what are they ready for next!!! Play! Play! Play!

A shout out to Warwick Academy Year 1 students!
Function Junction has had the opportunity to meet the Year 1’s during a PE class to see how strong their bodies are and how they move and to watch them in the classroom to observe their hand skills.

Many thanks to the awesome staff for all their help and keen observation skills. They are always open to new ideas and strategies to help their students.

Get out to the beach and walk in the sand.

"It’s more commonly known today that toddlers should be learning to walk barefooted as much as possible so they can feel what they touch with their feet and develop muscle strength. However all children receive important sensory information from the soles of their feet touching the ground as they develop— and it may now be best advice for all children to be encouraged to ditch the shoes when they can, no matter what their age."

Read more here:
https://neurosciencenews.com/motor-skill-footwear-9552/

Fun ideas. A couple of them would work really well as travel games on a plane.
Happy summer!

Games My Kids Beg To Play - Janet Lansbury This is my kind of silliness. These family games are creative, simple, and spontaneous. They need almost no preparation and only minimal equipment, just household stuff. They are unplugged, screen-free, non-board games that un-bore children, and they are all about playing rather than producing somet...

Keep it Fun!

Think of all the options at the beach too!!! Jumping in the waves…boogie board…slide down sand dunes….cartwheels in the sand….

It’s true!!! Tummy time is so important for development!

SO MANY DEVELOPMENTAL MILESTONES ARE MET WHEN A BABY IS ON THE FLOOR AND ON THEIR TUMMY
This illustration and explanation gives important details of why floor and tummy time are important for development and building strength. Here's what you can find on Mommy Academy:
Development, strength and milestones happens on the floor!⁠⠀
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Tummy time helps build so many muscles, sensory outputs and skills that they will need to get to the next milestones in their motor development journey.⁠⠀
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Don't skip this step - it's the foundation for everything!⁠⠀
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Tummy time helps build:⁠⠀
✨Balance (vestibular sense)⁠⠀
✨Neck & back muscles⁠⠀
✨Visual tracking⁠⠀
✨Arm & wrist strength⁠⠀
✨Core strength⁠⠀
✨Flexor muscles⁠⠀
✨Spinal strength⁠⠀
✨Familiarity with gravity⁠⠀
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Mommy Academy goes into this in detail in Remarkable Infants with lots of tips on how to bring in more play to make this a more enjoyable experience for your little one. ⁠
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Soooo does your little one like tummy time?? Did you discover any tricks that made it a more enjoyable experience for you little one? DO TELL!

https://mommy-academy.com/

Making transitions more fun!! Reframing can turn a task into play.

.and.sew 💕
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Sometimes I get so focused on the tasks at hand that I forget that it doesn’t have to be so serious. Does that happen to you, too? You’re so focused on moving through the things that have to get done that playfulness gets pushed to the side?

When we bring playfulness into transitions it can be an awesome way to connect with children and lead to collaboration. It turns off the alarm center in the brain, allowing them to feel safe and secure.

What have you found helpful during transitions?